Roadway summiting Colorado's Mount Evans to close for season

Courtesy of Dawn Y. Wilson
A mountain goat nanny and her offspring stand on a rocky ledge and look out over South Park on Mount Evans in Colorado.
A mountain goat nanny and her offspring (Oreamnos americanus) stand on a rocky ledge and look out over South Park on Mount Evans in Colorado.(Photo: Dawn Y. Wilson, Dawn Y. Wilson)

DENVER — The highest paved road in North America that summits Colorado's Mount Evans will close next week to end the season.

The scenic 5-mile stretch of Mount Evans Highway from Summit Lake to the peak closes annually on the Tuesday following Labor Day. The highway, also known as Colorado 5, reaches an elevation of 14,130 feet (4307 meters).

The Colorado Department of Transportation makes the closure through an agreement with the U.S. Forest Service in order to protect natural resources found at the peak.

The roadway is scheduled to reopen next year on the Friday before Memorial Day.

A lower stretch of the highway connecting Echo Lake to Summit Lake will remain open through Sept. 24.